MilSpouse Friday Fill-in #35.

Okay, I'm definitely going to try to blog more often. I've been taking this past week (okay, week & half) to sulk, whine and be miserable. I miss my husband and I miss the kind of laugh that only he evokes. But who wants to read about that? I personally don't even want to write about it, so you're welcome in advance for what I saved you from.

Right now, I'm working on my deployment to do list. Have you made one in the past or have one that you're currently completing? I have a few things written down, but I need some ideas. What are things that you set out to accomplish during your deployments?

I guess while I'm pondering what exactly put on my list in the next few days, I would partake in the MilSpouse Friday Fill-in hosted by Wife of a Sailor.

1. What is your must have gadget? by Flying High With My Flyboy
I have two must have gadgets! My first one is my iPhone. Ah, I LOVE my phone aka my small personal computer. It easily syncs to my MacBook with no problems. There's always an app available to download that can help me out with something from like Facebook, Yahoo Messenger, and Twitter to many, many games, to messing around with my Netflix, finding a Redbox location, the ability to Skype and finally, the ability to upload my checks to my bank account. I could go on and on, but let's just sum it up in these few words : I LOVE my iPhone.

My second would be my TomTom. I am thankful for the times that it actually takes me where we need to go! It makes navigating a new place so much easier and long trips seem less scary when it comes to driving through cities.


2. How does your adulthood compare to what you imagined it would be like when you were a little kid? submitted by L to the Third
I don't know, I didn't have a clear cut path that I really expected my life to take as a kid. As a teenager, I had more of a path for college, marriage and babies in that order. I got married after my first year of college, had a baby right before my 22nd birthday and at some point, I HOPE to finish college. I guess I'm learning that things may not come in the particular order that you always expected them to come in, but that doesn't mean they cannot still happen. 


3. What is your favorite chocolate recipe?  submitted by Our First Deployment
This is a no-brainer : Boy fudge* AND no bake cookies. Together. At the same time, preferably.
And because I'm lazy, I only eat the fudge at my mom's house and buy no bake cookies from Walmart. So, no recipes.


4.How do you deal with military life when it gets to be to much or to hard? submitted by Combat Boots And Pointe Shoes
Military life is the only lifestyle I've known, so I guess I don't feel like we go through many hardships. The motive I've learned and pretty much lived by since I was young is : adapt and overcome. There are the deployments that royally suck and there are the missed births, birthdays, and holidays with family members that we deal with - but for the most part, military life works for our family. My husband is really good at leaving work at work. When he comes home, he takes off his ACUs and become a husband and father. So in a sense, we stay pretty grounded. 


5.What piece of advice would you give a new Military spouse facing their first deployment?  submitted by The Albrecht Squad
The things that I have learned from each and every deployment (including this current one) is to surround yourself with a supportive group of friends. And it's definitely quality over quantity. You don't have to be the life of get togethers nor do you have to try to be everyone's friend - things that I definitely attempted to do. If you don't like someone, don't hang out with them. It's that simple. And stay busy! Find a few friends that keep your grounded and plan to do things with them. For me, personally, weekends are hard because that is family time for us. So, I try and plan to do things with my girlfriends on weekends. 


Something that I did during my first deployment and continue to do every deployment is to do payday lunches/dinners with the ladies. Every payday, we go out to lunch or dinner at a restaurant. It gives me something to look forward to every two weeks because it gets me out of the house, I don't have to cook and I generally have plenty of leftovers for an additional meal or two!


So : quality friendships, staying busy (school, planning get togethers, volunteering, working) and payday lunches/dinners!




*My mom differentiates between fudge by calling it boy fudge and girl fudge. The boy fudge is the kind she makes with nuts in it :)